Last night I read the book of Job and was taken aback by the turn of events that left a man devastated by unthinkable tragedy. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

Most of us can't relate to the depth of Job's suffering. He had 11,000 livestock, enough hired help to man a mansion and most of all, a wife and 10 children. And then Satan came in and wrecked his life killing his seven sons and three daughters, the servants and his animals.

Job lost it all, but he never gave up on God.

I don't know about you, but I haven't always responded to hardships and pain in my life with unwavering faith. I sometimes doubted God, took matters into my own hands, and did whatever I could do to make things better. But nothing changed until my heavenly Father said that's enough. He not only rescued me from the enemy, but from myself.

Look at how God blessed Job after his ordeal: "Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.

"He also had seven sons and three daughters. In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations" (Job 42: 12-13, 15-16, NKJV).

God is the same today, yesterday and forever more. He is faithful and will never change. If He delivered Job from the grip of the enemy and blessed his life, He will do the same for you.

So be encouraged and keep your focus, and don't let the enemy make you curse the Father. He tried that trick with Job, but Job refused to "charge God foolishly," and we must respond in the same manner.

Brian Zahnd, founder and senior pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Mo., recently released a book based on David's response to the tragedy at Ziklag. What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life is a must-read, and if you want to be uplifted and learn how to respond to hardships, I suggest you read it today. To get your copy click here.

Last Sunday I witnessed a powerful move of God. While leading worship, one of the singers got violently ill and could barely stand because sharp pains were piercing her stomach. A deacon whipped out his cell phone to call for an ambulance, but the preacher stopped the service and asked, "Before you call 911, may I call Jesus?" The woman said yes, he prayed, the Lord healed, and spiritual pandemonium broke out in the sanctuary.

Prayer changes things. When we come together in unity worshiping the Father, He comes into our presence and brings with Him all that we need. Our faith was so real in that building, the woman's healing created a traffic jam at the altar. Some people received the baptism in the Holy Spirit while others simply worshiped God and thanked Him for His presence.

Despite what we see in the natural realm-a failing economy, broken marriages, war, cancer and more-God will intervene in the affairs of His people with a holy visitation when we come together and pray.

The Bible says, "And when they had entered [the city], they mounted [the stairs] to the upper room where they were [indefinitely] staying-Peter and John and James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas [son] of James. All of these with their minds in full agreement devoted themselves steadfastly to prayer, [waiting together] with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers" (Acts 1:13-14, The Amplified Bible).

All types of people were in the upper room. A liar, a thief, a woman who had once been possessed with seven demons, the mother of our Lord and others. But they were all partakers of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as demonstrated in Acts 2:4.

God is no respecter of persons. If He responded to prayer 2,000 years ago, He will show up and move by His Spirit when we come together in one place, with one heart and no agenda, wholeheartedly seeking Him.

But let's not wait. Let's come together, corporately right here on Spiritledwoman.com. As a result of the Internet, we can reach heaven on behalf of millions of unbelievers and Christians alike. Logon to the site every day this week, post your prayer and watch God move by His Spirit.

I don't know about you, but I look forward to Valentine's Day. No, I don't have a husband to lavish me with roses and candy or a doting boyfriend anxious to ask for my hand in marriage. (I do have my eye on a certain guy, but he doesn’t even know I exist!) The day is special to me because my twin sister and I were born on February 14.

Though I've never been married, I don't waste time lamenting my status as a single woman. There's someone in my life and he thinks the world of me.

My father is special to me for a zillion reasons. Down through the years he's been a loving husband and father. He's a protector, provider and an awesome grandfather. My dad would take a bullet for me if he had to. But I'm most grateful to my father because his example led me to the Man in my life.

Christ is the center of my world, and the more I get to know Him, the more real He is to me. And every time I celebrate a birthday, I'm reminded of His faithfulness. The Bible says "For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth" (Isaiah 54:5, NKJV). Jesus can be your Husband and my Husband at the same time and never cheat.

That's why February 14 is so special to me. Not only is it the day I was born; it's the day I renew my vows to the Man in my life.

So don't be upset if you weren't showered with gifts, candy or flowers on Valentine's Day. Just thank God for His message of covenant love. It's not just for couples, it's for every single one of us. read more

Last Saturday morning I did something I haven't done in awhile. I teamed up with the women in my church and went door-to-door witnessing to residents about the love of Jesus.

My pastor is determined that in 2009, our church becomes a hub for evangelism and outreach. He feels the best way to be a beacon of light in the community is to do what Elvis Presley did, "leave the building." The Bible says, '"Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled'" (Luke 14:23, NKJV). Last weekend we knocked on more than 400 doors during our Canvassing for Christ event.

Every resident I encountered that day was friendly and receptive to what my friend, Shirley, and I had to say about Jesus. In fact, we were fired up and ready to save the world with a two-minute spiel and prayer. But when we knocked on the door ready to rattle off the "If you died tonight, where would you spend eternity?" type questions, we were greeted by ordinary people with obvious needs, so we flipped the script and listened to what they had to say. read more

One night last year I was about to climb into bed when I felt an urgent need to slip to my knees and pray fervently for my uncle, Don. I had actually had a gnawing feeling all week that God was speaking to me about him and had tried calling him so we could pray together, but I wasn’t able to reach him.

I knew in my spiritual “knower” that I needed to intercede for my uncle.

Has the Lord ever dropped the name of a person in your mind or flashed someone’s face before you? Sometimes He will tell you directly to pray for a person, and at other times He uses a different method to grab your attention. Either way, I believe it is God beckoning us to pray for others. read more

Have you ever looked at or spoken with a person and then walked away wondering what the person is really like at home--when they are not in the public eye? There are some obvious things you can learn about other people simply by the way they dress or style their hair, but all that is superficial and can easily change.

Editor's Note: Prophetic minister Bobby Conner posted the following article on his Web site, bobbyconner.org, in June. It is a word for believers to remember and to apply not only in this season but also throughout our lives.

The Spirit of God is constantly seeking to plant new seeds of victory inside you. Why? He is enlarging your vision and increasing your capacity for faith, hope and love. God longs for you to dream big! Ephesians 3:20-21 assures us that our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (NKJV).

The Greek word translated "exceedingly" here is a marvelous word—one that should bring unspeakable joy to our hearts. It is hyper! We know what it means to be hyper—to be hyperactive, hyperacute, hyperalert, hyperexcited or hypersensitive. We know that a hyperbole is an exaggeration of the truth. read more

Well, today is the first day of the rest of your life, right? Let's invest the remainder wisely.

If you are reading these words, know this, we have already been, and will continue to be praying for you, our readers. No hollow promises or lip service. No good intentions unfulfilled. You can absolutely count on it.

Now let's talk about what I want you to consider right this minute. But do me a favor, in the busyness of your day, please find a way to engage your heart, otherwise, with your mind alone, you will miss what I am saying - guaranteed. Reading this would then just be another mental exercise, part of the blur of another seemingly average day filled with too much information. Hearts engage! read more

I must admit: I was reluctant to publicly share my views on
President Obama's recent same-sex marriage statement. His presidency has caused separation within the ranks of
African-American leadership too often.

And yet, what does an African-American pastor do when his
African-American president makes a decision that eventually will destroy
the foundation of not only the African-American community, but the
nation as a whole?

Does that pastor take a risk that he will be misunderstood and
labeled as an "Uncle Tom," a Republican Party pawn, or someone "the
white man has bought out?" If I do not take the risk, knowing that
mentality in itself is as discriminatory as it gets, I become a
co-conspirator in keeping us in bondage to our culture; suggesting that
none of us is free to think or speak outside of what we are told. read more

Although Valentine's Day is meant to celebrate love, it
can bring bittersweet memories and pain.

For kids, Valentine's Day is a time to exchange funny cards and eat boxes of
chocolate. For adults, it's often much more than just a time to send flowers
and buy heart jewelry, chocolates and cards—it's a time to rededicate your love
to one special person. But when you're a widow or widower, or have lost your
love due to an unfortunate life circumstance, Cupid's arrow can pierce your
heart in a very different way. What was once a holiday of "warm
fuzzies" can turn into a sorrowful day to overcome.

It's true that Valentine's Day holds significance for most couples, but it was
particularly special for my husband Gordon and me. After losing my father in
February, the whole season had become fraught with painful memories. Then a
young man with a lot of heart came into my life, and it just so happened that
Valentine's Day was right after our first date. When I got home from work,
Gordon had left a bouquet of pink carnations on my front porch. So, it became a
yearly ritual for us to use Valentine's Day as the anniversary of our first
date together. read more